Five Lemont Student Athletes Make College Commitments

LEMONT, IL — Five Lemont High School seniors have made commitments to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level. The school said righthanded pitcher/third baseman Gia Cantarino has committed to play softball at Elmhurst College; Beata Drozda will participate in women’s cross country and track and field at Elmhurst College; golfer Jack Kramer will continue his career at Coastal Alabama Community College; Jacey Schickel will participate in women’s cross country and track and field at Saint Xavier University; and linebacker Caleb Young will be a preferred walk-on at Iowa State University.

Here are some career highlights of the athletes, according to LHS:

Gia Cantarino – Career Highlights

• Made Varsity debut as a junior, batting .308 with 11 runs batted in
• Totaled four doubles and scored nine runs, and posted a slugging percentage of .385
• Average 10.32 strikeouts per seven innings, fanning 28 in 19.0 innings
• Plays travel softball for the Burr Ridge Blast
• Member of the school’s Link Crew

Beata Drozda – Career Highlights

• Four-year member of both the girls’ cross country and girls’ track and field teams for head coach Tim Plotke
• Has earned eight all-conference awards between cross county and track
• One of only two student-athletes in program history to compete in four IHSA State Finals events in cross country
• Finished second among Lemont runners and 87th overall with a time of 19:05 as her team finished 18th at the 2017 IHSA Class 2A State Finals
• Won the individual SSC title as a junior in 2016 and was the team’s top finisher in IHSA Sectional competition
• Earned at least one All-SSC honor in each of her first three track and field seasons
• High honor roll student and National Honor Society inductee

Jack Kramer – Career Highlights

• Earned three varsity letters playing for head coach Mark Hollatz
• Three-time all-conference performer who played in three IHSA Class 2A State Finals and helped his team to three South Suburban Conference-Blue Division titles
• Posted a 38.1 scoring average as a senior in 2017, which is the program’s sixth-best single-season scoring average since 1994
• Finished as the SSC Blue runner-up and helped the team to the SSC Blue crown
• Posted a career-best 18-hole score of even-par 72 while finishing second individually in IHSA Sectional competition
• Tied for 21st with a +8 150 at the 2017 IHSA Class 2A State Finals, which marked his best state finals performance
• Made his varsity debut by averaging 43.1 as a sophomore in 2015
• Also served as a starter on the boys’ basketball team as a senior, helping the squad to a 19-9 record and a runner-up finish in the SSC Blue Division
• High honor roll student

Jacey Schickel – Career Highlights

• Four-year member of both the girls’ cross country and girls’ track and field teams for head coach Tim Plotke
• Has earned six all-conference awards between cross country and track and field
• Earned All-SSC honors as a senior in 2017 by placing fourth at the SSC Meet and was Lemont’s top finisher in IHSA Regional competition
• Finished first among Lemont runners and 86th overall with a career-best 3-mile time of 19:05 as her team finished 18th at the 2017 IHSA Class 2A State Finals
• Placed fourth at the SSC meet as a junior in 2016
• Helped Lemont to the 2017 SSC Blue title in track and field as a junior as she placed first in both the 1600 meter and 3200 meter runs
• High honor roll student and National Honor Society inductee

Caleb Young – Career Highlights

• Three-year varsity starter for head coach Bret Kooi
• Totaled 212 tackles (129 solo), 34 tackles-for-loss, 11 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and three interceptions during his career, twice earning all-conference honors
• Was an honorable mention Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Class 5A selection as a senior in 2017, while also earning All-SSC and all-area honors from the Daily Southtown and Joliet Herald News
• Posted a career high and was third on the team with 91 tackles (55 solo), was third on the team with a career-best 15 tackles-for-loss, and led the team with eight sacks
• Cited as an All-SSC performer as a junior in 2016
• Earned his first varsity playing time as a sophomore in 2015
• Also a member of the school’s baseball program
• High honor roll student and National Honor Society inductee

Photos provided by Lemont High School.